Foetus

Despite the constant shifts in name (from Scraping Foetus Off the Wheel to Foetus Über Frisco to Foetus All-Nude Revue) and the less frequent variations in aesthetics (all focused around the same unforgiving sonic attack), the music manufactured under the prolific Foetus umbrella is solely the product of one J.G. (Jim) Thirlwell.

A native of Melbourne, Australia, Thirlwell relocated to London in 1978, where he conceived the basic Foetus concept -- impenetrable panoramas of extremist noise built on tape loops and syncopated rhythms -- as an alternative to the constraints of rock music. Finding no takers for his work, Thirlwell created his own label, Self-Immolation, to issue his debut single, "O.K.F.M.," which appeared under the first of the innumerable variants of the Foetus name, Foetus Under Glass. As You've Got Foetus on Your Breath, he released his full-length debut, Deaf, later that year. Thirlwell spent the next several years exploring his brand of industrial sounds as a solo artist, issuing a steady stream of LPs, EPs, singles, and compilations before adopting another alias, Clint Ruin, and teaming with ex-Swan Roli Mosimann in 1986 to record the album Dirtdish as the duo Wiseblood.

After 1988's Thaw (recorded as Foetus Interruptus), Thirlwell formed Foetus Corruptus with other members of the Swans, Hugo Largo, and Unsane; both the 1989 "official bootleg" Rife and 1990's more above-board Male -- credited to Foetus in Excelsis Corruptus Deluxe -- documented the group's live set. Out of the experience grew Steroid Maximus, a group employing much of the same personnel that produced instrumental music for the scores of imaginary films on 1991's Quilombo and 1992's Gondwanaland. With 1995's Gash, Thirlwell entered the ranks of the major labels thanks to a deal with Sony; the LP, as well as the subsequent EP releases Null and Void, earned the rare distinction of appearing under the simple name Foetus.

In 1997 the Foetus Symphony Orchestra's York (First Exit to Brooklyn), featuring narration by Lydia Lunch, was issued by Thirsty Ear, and 2001 saw the label release the album Flow (with Thirlwell returning to the simple Foetus moniker again) along with its related remix project, Blow. Foetus released Love on Birdman Records in 2005, and tracks from that album were remixed by the likes of Mike Patton, Matmos, Tweaker, and Fennesz on 2007's Vein, also issued on Birdman. ~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi

Get rid of Blow!!! Are you insane?!! Let's just keep the whole related string of projects, guest appearances and remixes on one station, I would definitely listen to that all the time.

2 years ago

dreamsinthelowlights

Nail is actually available here under the 'Scraping Foetus' moniker. Strange. Pandora ought to create a profile for Jim Thirlwell and include ALL of his projects with it. That would be one killer station in my opinion.

2 years ago

dreamsinthelowlights

Hmmm, let's get rid of Blow and add some additional Thirlwell music prior to 2001. A lot of good stuff there, as well as a wider example of what Foetus achieves musically. I'd like to hear music from Gash, Thaw, and Nail for example. Also, let's get rid of Wumpscut and The Sisters of Mercy as similar artists. I would hate to hear anything from Vision Thing pop up on this station.

Almost difficult to associate some of his other (fantastic) offerings beside the Foetus name, at least in a review. Manorexia, Steriod Maximus, even the Venture Brothers soundtrack are a completely flip side of the Mr. Clint Ruin. Marvelous stamp on any envelope.

"That drip drip drip is making me sick/That drip drip drip is making me sickI'm condemned to eternal WATER TORTUREThis time the decider has shown no quarterI just had a backyard coathanger job from the SINNER SORTER, SOUL ABORTERFire and water, firewater, water torture, WATER TORTUREI could walk on water 'til I landed in strife now I'm treading waterNOW I SWIM FOR MY LIFEMy wetsuit's got a hole in it's pocketStuck my wet toe in a live hot socket"

Yeah, definitely need to add the early stuff big time. Here is a review blurb: "The only thing to do with Hole, Foetus' first American release (1985), is to jump in and pray for survival. The LP has a little of everything: industrial cacophony ("Clothes Hoist"), high political drama ("I'll Meet You in Poland Baby"), spare crypto-blues ("Sick Man"), demented surf music ("Satan Place"), something ugly built on a swing beat ("Water Torture"), Neal Hefti's Batman theme and lots more,"